


Royal Undercover

by Childofthesky



Series: Royal Romance [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bar, Bartender!Magnus, Drinking, Drinking & Talking, London, M/M, Prince!Alec, Royal!Alec, Shadowhunters Monday AUs, royal au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-10-11 19:13:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10472142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Childofthesky/pseuds/Childofthesky
Summary: Alec, Grandson of the Queen of England, escapes into the night after once another fight with his mother Maryse and ends up at a Bar, where he meets the Barkeeper Magnus. Who.. doesn't know who Alec is.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SweetCherry2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetCherry2/gifts).



> Hello dearies!
> 
> This is my paticipation in the shadowhunters AU mondays!  
> This week's theme was "Royal", so I came up with this. I'm not so sure but.. I guess it's okay? Nice?  
> Idk xD  
> This is also a gift for my dear JANI aka SweetCherry2, since she was so sad Matt & Harry didn't come to the Barcelona Con last weekend...  
> Love you lots, girl!!
> 
> Enjoy this little drabble...  
> xxx

„For god‘s sake ALEXANDER!“, a voice boomed through the hall of the big house, where a tall figure ran down the stairs in a hurried step. The person stopped at the end of the stairs and stared up towards where the voice had come from, revealing it to be Maryse Lightwood, Duchess of Cambridge, married to Robert Lightwood, the son of the Queen, which made her daughter-in-law of the Queen of England.  
And also Alecs mother.

Alec, who stood at the bottom of the stairs with angry furrowed brows.

“WHAT do you want mother!”, he yelled and Maryse held her head high.

“You will do as I say, Alexander, you won’t go out tonight and this will stop NOW!”, she exclaimed, gripping the rail hard as she glared at her son. Alec scoffed.

“I’m 21, you can’t tell me what to do. I’m leaving”, he said, then turned around, grabbed his jacket he dropped next to the door earlier and stalked towards the door.

“I won’t tolerate this, Alexander! You have an obligation to this family, the country! Come back at once, or I..”, Maryse started and Alec stopped at the opened door, looking back at his mother with a dark face.

“Or what. What mother! Cut me off, whatever. I’m don’t care. I’m done with this”, he gritted out, then he walked through the door and slammed it shut as hard as he could.

He got out the key to his Mercedes, parked in front of the house, but then he hesitated. It had been a gift from his parents, for his graduation and start at Oxford. All of it just a facade.

Alec balled his fists angrily, then he dropped the key and just walked down towards the gate, where he nodded at the gatekeeper, then left the Lightwood main premise, not sparing one last glance back at it.

 

Alec slumped down into a seat on the underground and got his phone out with a sigh. He had a few missed calls already, two from his father, who was currently in Wales for political reasons and duty of the Kingdom, one from their home number and also a few messages. Alec pressed his lips together and opened the chat with his sister Isabelle.

 

\- Alec what happened, Max called me and said you and Mum had another big fight are u okay -

\- Also, screw Mum and her plans to press her will onto you, I’ll support you no matter what-

\- Jace says ‘hi’ as well, he busted his phone again can you believe the guy-

\- we both love you, please answer-

 

He rubbed his eyes, then decided to call his sister. She picked up after the second ring.

“Hey Iz”, Alec sighed and leaned his head back. He saw a few young guys enter the subway and merely pointing at him from afar but ignored them, crossing his arm over his chest.

“Alec! Max woke up when he heard you and Mum fight and he was really worried when he called me. Seriously, what happened?”, Izzy asked and Alec let out a sigh.

“The usual? Except this time she told me to my face what she thinks of my plans and that I would bring shame to the Lightwood name and the whole Kingdom if I would do it”, he gritted out, eying the group of guys again that were now definitely pointing his way. Damn his idea of staying incognito in the public.  
He should have used the car after all.

“I’m so sorry, Alec. Mum just.. doesn’t get those awesome ideas you have and that you rather live outside the royal world”, Izzy said and Alec rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, they would rather have the perfect royal son, who for starters wouldn’t be gay and would marry a daughter of their high society friends and continue the political way they went and wouldn’t drop their families’ title and give the trust fund away for a project in south africa. Oh and did I mention the gay part because that’s what she also said, that I’m a disappointment and disgrace to the whole family and the royals”, he added and heard Izzy sigh.

“Alec, please don’t do anything stupid now. Mum will understand you one day, and then she’ll realize what an awesome project it is and that you’re an amazing son, trying to get attention on the really important things besides a title. And screw the public as well”, she said and Alec huffed.

“We’ll see if that day ever comes. And the newspaper’s and everyone can suck my ass. Look, I’m sorry if you got worried, and that Max got worried as well. Can you call him and tell him I’ll be okay and that I will stay in the city tonight?”, he asked.

“Yes, of course. Should I tell mum as well where you’ll be staying?”, she asked carefully as Alec got up from his seat to exit the train. He looked at his reflection for a second, the black pants with the black dress shirt and the suit jacket, as well as his black coat, his hair, messed up from ruffling through it.

“No. She doesn’t care anyway. I’ll call you tomorrow, Iz”, he said, and hung up.

 

Alec got off the train and made his way towards the empty stairs up to the night that was London, but was stopped by the group of guys from the same train near the exit outside.

“What do you want”, he asked through gritted teeth, glaring at them.

“Aren’t you that that Lightwood prick, one of the royals”, one guy spat and Alec balled his fists on his sides.

“So”, he said, trying to stay calm. The guys scrunched up their noses.

“So you’re that royal prick, that _fag_ ” another guy spat and that was it, Alec lost it.

He lunged forward and punched the guy’s nose, screwed up his face as pain flared through his fist from the hit and kicked another guy in the gut, only to have the two others jump at him.

Alec was a good fighter, since he had been doing martial arts for most of his life but four, well, three, considering one was down with a broken nose, on one was hard, even for him. So it didn’t take long for him to get a punch at his face, then another, then he kicked his way out and started running, the guys cursing and following him as fast as they could.

After a few minutes of aimlessly running through dark alleyways, Alec stopped when he thought he lost them and tried to catch his breath. His nose was bleeding, and he definitely had a cut on his eyebrow, as well as more bruises on his face and neck.

Great.

He shook of the drowsiness, then started walking towards one of the main streets again, wiping the blood from his nose. He walked for some time, then stopped next to a bar. Alec hesitated for a few seconds, clenched his jaw and entered the building.

 

The bar was quite crowded and dimly lit, so he didn’t catch any one’s attention and quickly made his way towards the counter where he dropped his coat and sat on a stool. He turned and took a few looks around the strangers, who didn’t really notice him, busy chatting, laughing and talking, when a cough caught his attention and he turned towards the bartender.

“That looks like it hurts. Need some ice?”, the guy behind the counter asked while wiping a glass in his hands and Alec glared at him. The bartender raised an eyebrow when Alec didn’t answer.

“I’m not pressuring you into talking, just offering my help. Ice? And maybe a drink?”, the guy asked again and that was when Alec nodded, his face still a grim expression.

“Thanks.”

The bartender nodded, put some ice cubed into a towel and handed it to Alec, then he poured some liquid into a tumbler and put it in front of Alec. When Alec reached for his wallet, the guy held up his hands.

“On the house, you look like you need it”, he said, then he left Alec and went to the other side of the counter to take orders from a few customers and started making cocktails.

 

Alec held the towel with the ice towards his temple and hissed, then he took a big swig of the alcohol and swallowed. It was whiskey, one of his favorites to be precisely and he glanced over at the mysterious bartender who was now expertly shaking the cocktail shaker, while chatting with the girls in front of him. He flashed them a smile when he poured the liquid into the glasses, then decorated it with a delicate flower and some colorful power before handing it over to them. He winked at them, then put the shaker away, and that was when he looked over at Alec, who quickly looked away, his cheeks actually heating up because he was caught staring. Why was he blushing, goddamn?

“So, Mr. broken-face, do you have a name?”, the bartender asked when he stood in front of Alec again, a slight smile on his face when Alec looked up at him.

“Alec.” The guy grinned.

“Nice to meet you, Alec. I’m Magnus. What brings you to this fine establishment tonight, despite the need of ice, obviously?”, he asked playfully and Alec took a sip from his whiskey, then shrugged.

“I kind of found this by accident, I’ve never been here before”, he admitted and Magnus nodded understandingly.

“I see. Welcome, then. I hope you won the fight”, he motioned towards Alecs’ forehead where he held the ice onto and Alec rolled his eyes.

“Who cares.” Magnus narrowed his eyes for a moment, then glanced over at new customers appearing at the bar.

“I see. I’ll be right back”, he said, then he repeated the earlier action, shaking the drinks, chatting with the customers and serving the glasses with a smile. And Alec watched him again.

He studied Magnus face, his black rimmed eyes, his spied up hair with blue stripes in it, his ears with the cuffs, his black patterned shirt and the vest above it, and the way his adams apple moved when he talked.

Okay, Alec checked him out a little. Sue him.

When Magnus returned, Alec looked at his eyes again and the bartender smirked.

“So, what do you do, Alec? What do you do throughout the day before you get into fights you don’t care about and end up at bars like this”, he asked and the way he said it, strangely enough, didn’t annoy Alec at all. In fact, he felt like he actually wanted to talk to the guy.

“I.. I study at Oxford”, he answered and Magnus whistled through his teeth as he picked up a glass again and started polishing it.

“Oxford, nice. Do you like it?”, he asked and Alec shrugged again.

“My parents like it.” Magnus raised an eyebrow.

“So you always do what they like?” Alec put the towel with the ice down and looked straight at Magnus.

“Not anymore. I’m done living in the Lightwood shadow and having them use me to make them look better”, he said bitterly and Magnus nodded slowly.

“Well, that’s good. Refill?”, he asked and nodded towards Alec’s now empty glass and Alec nodded.

“How did you know I liked whiskey?”, he asked when Magnus filled his glass again and the bartender smirked.

“I know everyone’s favorite”, he answered and winked at Alec, and okay, that might did something to Alec’s insides.

“You’re lying”, he said and Magnus did offended, pressing one hand to his chest but tried to hide a smirk.

“How dare you. I’ll prove it to you”, he said when a girl approached the bar and stopped next to Alec. Magnus smiled at her while Alec only shot her a glance, his eyes fixed on Magnus.

“Hello biscuit, what can I get you? No wait, I know exactly what you like, let me mix something for you, and you tell me if you like it, deal?”, he asked and the girl nodded with a grin.

“Sounds good to me”, she said and Magnus went to work his magic with the shaker. Alec sipped on his whisky again, when he noticed the girl looking at him.

“Somehting wrong?”, he asked, noticing from the corner of his eye how Magnus was watching him.

“Aren’t you Alexander Lightwood?”, the girl asked and he grit his teeth.

“So what if I am”, he said and looked at the girl, whose mouth formed a soundless ‘ _oh_ ’.

“Oh.. uhm nothing, I just uh.. nothing”, she said, then turned her attention towards Magnus who put a glass in front of her with a huge smile.

“There you go, biscuit. Try it, it’s your favorite”, he said and winked at her. Alec watched as Magnus grin spread wider when the girl took a sip and nodded happily.

“Wow, this is great, thanks!”, she said, then paid her drink and with one last glance to Alec, left the bar.

Alec let out a sigh, then looked over his shoulder to see the girl talking frantically with her friends, pointing the direction of the bar.  
He pressed his lips together.

“Everything okay?”, Magnus suddenly asked and Alec’s head spun round, looking at the bartender. 

“Alec?”, he asked and the latter stood up.

“They recognized me, I need to go”, he said and got out his wallet to pay or the whiskey. Magnus’ brow furrowed.

“Recognized you? Are you a celebrity or something?”, he asked incredulously and Alec froze, looking at Magnus with wide eyes.

“You don’t know who I am”, he deadpanned. Magnus raised both eyebrows.

“No, should I..?”, he asked carefully and Alec stared at him, starstruck. Magnus really didn’t know.

“Alec Lightwood.”

“Magnus Bane, nice to know your surname, but I still don’t know.” Alec kept staring at Magnus.

“Alexander Lightwood”, Alec tried again and Magnus let out a small laugh.

“I’m sorry darling, I have no idea”, he laughed and Alec choked out a breath, not believing what was happening.

Magnus didn’t know him or his family? _How_?

He looked over is shoulder again and cursed when he saw the group of people slowly approaching the bar and he quickly turned towards Magnus again.

“Sorry, I really need to go”, he pressed but Magnus shook his head, stepped around the bar and grabbed Alec’s hand. He motioned to his bartender colleague to take over for a second, then he faced Alec again.

“Follow me”, he simply said, then he turned and pulled Alec after himself, down into a dark hallway that started behind the counter, obviously leading to the back of the bar.

 

He pulled Alec after him, up some stairs and down another hallway, passing some doors left and right until Magnus stopped in front of one particular, got out a key-set and opened it.  
Alec stepped inside after Magnus and found himself inside a small bedroom with a table on the side and a cubboard next to a window, showing bits of the night skyline that was London.

Alec only realized he had been checking out the room after a few minutes and looked at Magnus, who was smirking again.

“Welcome to my little home”, he said and Alec let out a small laugh.

“You live here at the bar?”, he asked and Magnus shrugged.

“It’s cheap, I have a short way to work and I don’t need much space anyway”, he said matter of factly and watched Alec take a step towards the window to look outside. It was raining now, and the lights glistened on the wet street.  
He looked back at Magnus.

“It’s nice. Cosy. I like it.”, he stated and Magnus nodded with a smile.

“Feel free to stay, I gotta get back to the counter but my shift should be over in about half an hour. You can tell me what mysterious famous person you are then,”, he said but then he hesitated for a second.

“Or, you can leave through the backdoor, which is the first door on the right when you go down the stairs, of course, I’m not holding you hostage or anything”, he added and watched Alec’s face for any sign that he was uncomfortable.

Alec nodded.

“Okay.”

“Okay, you stay, or you want to go?”, Magnus asked and Alec smiled for the first time.

“I’ll stay.”

Magnus stared at Alec for a few seconds, then the brilliant smile was back on his face and he nodded as well.

“Make yourself a home, then. I’ll be back.”  


Alec let out a breath after Magnus left him alone and he rubbed his face with his hands, groaning.

What was he doing? He just went to the back of a bar with a total stranger and agreed to stay there, when he didn’t even know the name of the bar, of in fact the street he was in.  
And the guy didn’t even know who he was! That was new. And somehow Alec felt like this could be something new.

He sighed, shaking his head, then his eyes fell on an opened book lying on the bed and the curiosity got the best of him, so he sat down and picked it up.

It was a notebook, handwritten, and when he skimmed through some pages, he soon realized, it was a travel diary written by Magnus. He hesitated for a second, but Magnus had said he should make himself a home, right? So he picked it up, leaned back on the bed and started reading.

 

By the time Magnus got back about an hour later, Alec was fast asleep on his bed, the book next to him with a peaceful expression on his face. Magnus smiled at the sight, then he knelt down in front of the bed and gently shook Alec awoke.  
Alec yawned, then his eyes widened when he realized he had fallen asleep.

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry I fell asleep in your bed”, he exclaimed but Magnus grinned.

“Not the phrase I want to hear when a handsome guy wakes up in my bed, cause I’m not complaining”, he said and winked, and Alec blushed and swallowed.

“Uhm...”, he mumbled but Magnus winked at him again and got up only to take a seat on the chair in front of the table, facing Alec.

“So, mister. Time to put the cards on the table. You’re a famous person on the run from someone?”, he asked and Alec snorted, shaking his head. Here we go, he thought.

“No.”

“Not on the run then?”, Magnus asked with a raised eyebrow and Alec shook his head again.

“Yes and no. I left cause I couldn’t stand the place anymore, but I guess I’m on the run from people recognizing me”, he said and Magnus studied his face.

“I see. Well, I’m glad I could be of service and help you out”, he said and winked at Alec who furrowed his brow.

“You.. don’t want to know it then? Who I am?”, he asked and Magnus shrugged.

“You’re Alec, the guy who likes whiskey and found my bar on accident after a fight. I would say I know you a bit then, right? It’s enough for me”, he said and Alec smiled. Magnus was really different.

“Yeah, I guess so. That’s.. actually quite refreshing to not have someone know me, or get to know me without knowing me first”, he said and Magnus raised an eyebrow.

“That sounds awfully complicated”, he nodded and Alec let out a small laugh.

“It is! People around me always make it complicated!” Magnus smirked.

“Well, I don’t like complicated, but I do like some mystery.. so”, he said and winked, “no need to tell me anything about that. You can tell me anything else about you instead”, he said and Alec smiled.

“I want to support a project in Africa but my parent’s don’t approve of it”, he shrugged and Magnus nodded.

“Africa, it’s a nice place”, he commented and Alec narrowed his eyes.

“You’ve been there?” Magnus nodded.

“Yeah, that was an experience. I lived down there for about a year.”

 

So Magnus started telling Alec stories about his time in Africa and his journeys, and Alec told Magnus all about the project he wanted to support. He never once mentioned his familie's heritage, and MAgnsu didn't ask or pressure him about it either, he only told Magnus about his sister and brother and they laughed a lot and Alec felt so calm he hadn't in a long time. Magnus also flirted with him in a way, that made ALec blush and he began to really like the smug bartender.  
They both felt so much at ease, that after a while they were both settled next to each other on the bed, and they drifted off to sleep.

 

Alec woke up the next morning, cuddled up next to Magnus on the small bed and he straightened up with wide eyes as he realized how close they had been.  
Magnus woke up when Alec moved so suddenly and yawned while stretching his arms, then he looked up at Alec, who was rubbing his head.

“We fell asleep, right?”, Magnus asked, voice still rough from sleeping and Alec swallowed, not daring to look at the other guy.

“Yeah, uhm.. I… I need to go now.” Magnus glanced at his clock on the nightstand and nodded.

“It’s still early, so the streets should be quite empty right now. Because of people recognizing you, right”, he said, then he sat up and smiled at Alec, who was already standing next to the bed, nervously running a hand through is hair.

“Mh, right. Thanks for.. last night. It was nice to just.. talk about me for a while. So thanks”, he said sheepishly and Magnus held up his hands, smiling gently at the other one as he got up from the bed.

“It was my pleasure, really. Your plans sound really awesome, and I hope you can go after them and do what you want to do, Alexander.”

Alec’s stomach fluttered at the way Magnus called him by his full name, and he nodded slowly.

“Yes. Thanks. I’ll.. go now”, he said, then he turned towards the door and opened it.

“Bye Magnus”, he said over is shoulder, and Magnus grinned at him and winked.

“Bye, Alexander.”

 

Alec walked down the hallway and then the stairs towards the back door, then he stopped. He closed his eyes for a second, then he turned around and walked the way back to Magnus door, while he fished for a paper in his pocket and scribbled his number on the paper, then he knocked on the door.

Magnus opened it, surprised to see Alec there again, but before he could say anything, Alec grabbed his shirt and pressed their lips together, kissing Magnus as if his life depended on it and Magnus melted into the dramatic kiss, overwhelmed with feelings, kissing Alec back as demanding as he did.

They broke apart panting, and Magnus leaned against his door frame with a smug expression, breathing for air. Alec handed him a paper.

“Call me. Even if you find out who I am, call me.”  


After Alec had gone, and the number on the paper had been stored in his mobile, Magnus took a shower, then he went down to the bar to go look for his colleague, who he owed for last night, since he had left early. He found Raphael cleaning the liquor cabinet and sat down in front of the bar, opposite his friend. Raphael glanced at him.

“So the highness stayed over?”, he asked and Magnus furrowed his brow.

“Who?”, he asked and Raphael glared at him, then he shook his head.

“Sometimes I really forget you only got here like two weeks ago. The Lightwood guy”, he pointed out, but Magnus still looked at him clueless.  
Raphael sighed.

“Oh, _dios mio_ , just google him already”, he said with a wave of his hand and Magnus got out his mobile, slowly typing in the name.  
His eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he read the first few headlines, and his head shot up to Raphael, who rolled his eyes at him.

“Hopeless case. Yes, it is him, I recognized him on instant. Now go and call him, _estupido_ ”, Raphael said and Magnus nodded, still starstruck as he stepped out in front of the bar and inhaled the fresh morning air. He got out his phone and called Alec, who picked up instantly.

“That was fast”, he laughed and Magnus swallowed.  
“I googled you.”

There was silence on the other side of the line, and Magnus inhaled slowly.

“Okay. And?”, Alec said eventually and Magnus closed his eyes, clutching his phone.

“Do you want to go on a date with me? Cause I really like the guy I met yesterday and talked through the whole night with and I want to get to know you. Not the royal guy, not Alec Lightood the prince, but Alexander. You.”, Magnus babbled and held his breath, cursing himself on the inside for his outright stupidity and straightforwardness. Alec was a royal after all, last night aside.

“I’d love to”, Alec said and Magnus let out a relived breath, grinning wildly.  
This would be an interesting adventure.


End file.
